The group claims to already have information on offenders.

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The hacktivists are back, targeting the users of forums and sites where illegal images of underage children are posted and shared.

In a YouTube video posted on July 8, a voice-to-speech program reads out a statement claiming that Anonymous "aims to diminish if not eradicate this plague from the Internet."

Calling it #OpPedoChat, the video explains: "Recently it has come to our attention that there has been a surge of websites dedicated to pedophiles for chat and picture sharing. These pedophiles openly advocate concepts like "man-boy love," stating that 8-year-old boys enjoy it and prey on their attention. This is not limited to boys; boards for little girls exist and operate with impunity. Child pornography is frequently traded and even innocent pictures of random children (at the beach, on a playground, in their homes) are publicly fantasized about."

It continues: "Anonymous aim to diminish if not eradicate this plague from the Internet. For the good of our followers, for the good of mankind, and for our own enjoyment we shall expel from the Internet and systematically destroy any such boards that continue to operate. Anonymous recognises this as a serious undertaking and do not expect it to be completed in a short period of time. Factions of Anonymous from all over the globe are participating in sub-operations. Information on pedophiles is being gathered and released."

Information has already been posted by the group which, they claim, links the IP addresses of forum users with their e-mail addresses. You can view the text files here, here, here, and here.

Curiously, the video—released through the official Anonymous YouTube channel—misspells Anonymous as "Anonyomous" at the beginning. The information about #OpPedoChat was also published on PasteBin, which is strange. as previously the organisation had claimed that PasteBin censored users' material. They even went to the trouble of creating an alternative called AnonPaste.

It could indicate that this is the project of one subsection of Anonymous, which would explain the slightly different tone to the information release. This isn't the first anti-pedophile project from the group, either—in October 2011 members of Anonymous took credit for taking down around 40 sites associated with images of underage children in #OpDarkNet, and publishing the names of 1,500 site members. #OpPedChat appears to be have an even broader, longer-lasting mission than #OpDarkNet.

As criminal as these sites may be, publicly naming and shaming pedophiles does have the potential to ruin innocent lives. It's what happened with Operation Ore, which to date is still the largest investigation of pedophile websites by British police. After being tipped off by the FBI, the police arrested 3,744 different people whose credit cards had been used to access a known pedophile site— except nothing was done to check if those cards had been stolen first.

In many cases (including that of Massive Attack member Robert del Naja and The Who bassist Pete Townshend) there was nothing beyond a stolen credit card to link them to images of underage children, but that didn't stop the tabloid press publishing leaked lists of names. Thirty-five of the men who had been accused ended up killing themselves when they might well have been the victims of identity theft. Anonymous should be careful they don't make similar errors of judgement.

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89 Reader Comments

Pete Townshend admitted to having used his own credit card to access child porn on the Internet for 'research purposes' or something to that effect. Also, he was not The Who's bassist; that was John Entwistle.

"Hey guys, attacking corporations and governments seems to be putting too many of us in prison and our legal defence fund is 37 cents and a bent popsicle stick. Maybe we should switch to damaging law enforcement investigations into child pornography instead."

"Hey guys, attacking corporations and governments seems to be putting too many of us in prison and our legal defence fund is 37 cents and a bent popsicle stick. Maybe we should switch to damaging law enforcement investigations into child pornography instead."

Some points to the contrary might be that an Anonymous investigation is not constrained by constitutional law, and that law enforcement investigations are completely free to use evidence that was obtained illegally (as long as they didn't instruct anyone to obtain it in that way) without violating anyone's constitutional rights.

Pete Townshend admitted to having used his own credit card to access child porn on the Internet for 'research purposes' or something to that effect. Also, he was not The Who's bassist; that was John Entwistle.

Anon isn't a fixed group. Anonymous is everyone and nobody. They are legion. That's the point. Everybody can be a part of Anonymous, anarchy. I don't understand why the media keeps trying to identify Anonymous as a group of fixed people.

I personally find the concept intriguing and I mostly agree with their goals, I just don't always agree with their means. That being said, I'm curious what they'll do with the paedophiles.

So, have these anonymous dudes realized that simply collecting such evidence could entail them being guilty of possessing the goods they are claiming they are seeking to destroy? They have to be very careful they don't end up breaking the law in their efforts to be Robin Hood.

another love/hate relationship.... I do not approve of your methods.. but if you do an ounce of good.. you have my support!

(so long as your power is used for good.........)

I do not know guy. This seems like a very slippery slope. This is still being a vigilante, and vigilantism in real life is frowned upon at best.

That said, I've never really been opposed to Anon itself (unlike some of its offshoots). Maybe my memory is short, but Anon (with a handful of notable exceptions) generally has been vigilantes to the core. In other words, they aren't lulzsec who was in it solely for the lulz.

Anon isn't a fixed group. Anonymous is everyone and nobody. They are legion. That's the point. Everybody can be a part of Anonymous, anarchy. I don't understand why the media keeps trying to identify Anonymous as a group of fixed people.

I personally find the concept intriguing and I mostly agree with their goals, I just don't always agree with their means. That being said, I'm curious what they'll do with the paedophiles.

If you want to quote their rhetoric, you at least have to include the Anonymous "is an idea" not a person. I think everyone, especially those reading Ars realizes Anon is really an amorphous blob with whisps that flow in every direction.

Disgusting Pedos on the Net had better watch the fuck out. Anon is serious and I applaud them for it. The law cannot possibly contain nor control the issue of pedophilia on the Net. If they cannot do it then others have to get involved. Down with Pedo sites on the Net. IMHO, Pedos that are caught should be in a mental institution for LIFE. There is no curing them ever. Sick for life is what they are,

So, have these anonymous dudes realized that simply collecting such evidence could entail them being guilty of possessing the goods they are claiming they are seeking to destroy? They have to be very careful they don't end up breaking the law in their efforts to be Robin Hood.

Yea...it probably doesn't work like that....they are just attacking the forums and raiding info from them...completely different than say, doing a sting op and hanging around the forums participating in discussions or trading pics and such...

I have to say I'm a bit concerned. How does Anonymous verify that these emails haven't been hijacked. I mean, people who are into pedo stuff probably wouldn't use legit emails or real IPs for that matter. Suppose they dox the wrong guy? More suicides = justice for victims?

I agree that these pedo fucks should be summarily executed ( preferably by firing squad) but with the challenges to verifying identities on the internet, I don't think this is the way to go. It seems to me that the people that get dox'ed are the people that (a) don't care about protecting their identities or (b) aren't technical enough to do so in the first place.

Don't matter what they're going after, arrest these idiots. They aren't law enforcement.

It is not only the right, but the obligation of the people to fight for what is right when others either can't or won't...

Still, be careful who you put your faith in and your support behind. Anonymous doesn't have a reputation for critical thinking skills, or a track record of doing the right thing as often as they should if we're to trust them to "get it done".

Also, it isn't as if Interpol or the FBI is going to tell us about their active ops so Anon can avoid them. If Anon blows up a multi-year investigation and it either causes perps to escape because they're tipped off or creates a bunch of inadmissible evidence, that wouldn't be a success.

another love/hate relationship.... I do not approve of your methods.. but if you do an ounce of good.. you have my support!

(so long as your power is used for good.........)

I do not know guy. This seems like a very slippery slope. This is still being a vigilante, and vigilantism in real life is frowned upon at best.

That said, I've never really been opposed to Anon itself (unlike some of its offshoots). Maybe my memory is short, but Anon (with a handful of notable exceptions) generally has been vigilantes to the core. In other words, they aren't lulzsec who was in it solely for the lulz.

As stated, maybe my memory is just too short.

don't get me wrong... there could be more evil done than good...COULD... be...

it is a slippery slop and I can not and will not support everything they've done or will do.. But in general, I've liked what I've seen. Taking down Gene Simmons website because he's unwilling to adapt: Good. Threatening to release innocent victim's names in Mexico and get more people killed.. well my internet entertainment isn't worth that...

there does however have to be someone to stand up for the masses... I hope they are the ones to do it

I have to say I'm a bit concerned. How does Anonymous verify that these emails haven't been hijacked. I mean, people who are into pedo stuff probably wouldn't use legit emails or real IPs for that matter. Suppose they dox the wrong guy? More suicides = justice for victims?

I agree that these pedo fucks should be summarily executed ( preferably by firing squad) but with the challenges to verifying identities on the internet, I don't think this is the way to go. It seems to me that the people that get dox'ed are the people that (a) don't care about protecting their identities or (b) aren't technical enough to do so in the first place.

How else are the Pedo's going to be scrubbed from the Net? The people have to do for the good of everyone. If people are really innocent then suicide would not be an option. And I am pretty sure that Anon can catch even technically inclined Pedo's as well.

The other thing to note, as a teenager myself I was an explorer of the net, it wasn't hard to bump into CP then, a good deal of these pedos could actually be kids. Granted you won't charge a minor with this offense but once it's on the internet it's there forever.

Don't matter what they're going after, arrest these idiots. They aren't law enforcement.

It is not only the right, but the obligation of the people to fight for what is right when others either can't or won't...

Still, be careful who you put your faith in and your support behind. Anonymous doesn't have a reputation for critical thinking skills, or a track record of doing the right thing as often as they should if we're to trust them to "get it done".

Also, it isn't as if Interpol or the FBI is going to tell us about their active ops so Anon can avoid them. If Anon blows up a multi-year investigation and it either causes perps to escape because they're tipped off or creates a bunch of inadmissible evidence, that wouldn't be a success.

Fair point... But I don't think they should be arrested just because they are attempting to out pedofiles and aren't law enforcement...

Don't matter what they're going after, arrest these idiots. They aren't law enforcement.

It is not only the right, but the obligation of the people to fight for what is right when others either can't or won't...

Still, be careful who you put your faith in and your support behind. Anonymous doesn't have a reputation for critical thinking skills, or a track record of doing the right thing as often as they should if we're to trust them to "get it done".

Also, it isn't as if Interpol or the FBI is going to tell us about their active ops so Anon can avoid them. If Anon blows up a multi-year investigation and it either causes perps to escape because they're tipped off or creates a bunch of inadmissible evidence, that wouldn't be a success.

Fair point... But I don't think they should be arrested just because they are attempting to out pedofiles and aren't law enforcement...

I have to say I'm a bit concerned. How does Anonymous verify that these emails haven't been hijacked. I mean, people who are into pedo stuff probably wouldn't use legit emails or real IPs for that matter. Suppose they dox the wrong guy? More suicides = justice for victims?

I agree that these pedo fucks should be summarily executed ( preferably by firing squad) but with the challenges to verifying identities on the internet, I don't think this is the way to go. It seems to me that the people that get dox'ed are the people that (a) don't care about protecting their identities or (b) aren't technical enough to do so in the first place.

How else are the Pedo's going to be scrubbed from the Net? The people have to do for the good of everyone. If people are really innocent then suicide would not be an option. And I am pretty sure that Anon can catch even technically inclined Pedo's as well.

Being innocent does not mean they won't opt for suicide, it might even make it more likely.

Think about it, it's getting blasted all over the internet that you like little boys when it's a load of shit. And since it's some full of itself vigilante group doing it you don't even get a trial to try to prove your innocence.

He was like a deer caught in headlights, completely unprepared for the meatgrinder of publicity. The guy was hounded so much, even though what he was doing was immoral but not clearly illegal, that he had to pack up and leave two states. His public appearances made it clear that he's severely socially and emotionally impaired, unintelligent, mentally unsound, and completely delusional about the consequences of his actions--which is doubtless the source of his pedophilia. I actually felt sorry for the guy, much as I feel sorry for the Carreons; sometimes people who do or are negative things are just pathetic, in every sense of that word...

Clicking on the text file links in the article and browsing the nondescript e-mail addresses and other information makes me wonder who these people are and how they break down. How many are child molesters? How many are damaged people like Jack McClellan, who haven't hurt any children but who obviously need major psychological help? How many are just curious pervs, or innocent identity theft victims? How many of them are consuming hardcore child porn, and how many are just looking at pictures of clothed kids in public places or the like? One problem with lists like these is that we just don't know. Some of them are doubtless Very Bad People who need to be stopped and jailed, others are psychologically unsound people who need mental help, others are benign pervs doing the digital equivalent of looking at the kids' underwear ads in the Sears catalogue (there was actually a moral panic about kids' underwear ads in the 1980s), and others are innocent identity theft or hacking victims.

This makes me wonder further: there have been previous Anonymous releases of identifying information for alleged pedophiles--has anyone followed up on that information, and found any of these people? Have any been investigated or charged that we know of?

Anon isn't a fixed group. Anonymous is everyone and nobody. They are legion. That's the point. Everybody can be a part of Anonymous, anarchy. I don't understand why the media keeps trying to identify Anonymous as a group of fixed people.

I personally find the concept intriguing and I mostly agree with their goals, I just don't always agree with their means. That being said, I'm curious what they'll do with the paedophiles.

I wonder how many pedophiles have joined Anonymous in order to find the pedo boards and sites that they didn't previously know about. Is Anonymous checking their own "members"?

Are any of these boards pay sites? Have they cleverly maneuvered Anonymous to attack their competitors?

I mean, good intent behind their actions and all, but I hope Anon doesn't let themselves be used in such ways.

A Stand Alone Complex can be compared to the emergent copycat behavior that often occurs after incidents such as serial murders or terrorist attacks. An incident catches the public's attention and certain types of people "get on the bandwagon", so to speak. It is particularly apparent when the incident appears to be the result of well-known political or religious beliefs, but it can also occur in response to intense media attention. For example, a mere fire, no matter the number of deaths, is just a garden variety tragedy. However, if the right kind of people begin to believe it was arson, caused by deliberate action, the threat that more arsons will be committed increases drastically.

A Stand Alone Complex can be compared to the emergent copycat behavior that often occurs after incidents such as serial murders or terrorist attacks. An incident catches the public's attention and certain types of people "get on the bandwagon", so to speak. It is particularly apparent when the incident appears to be the result of well-known political or religious beliefs, but it can also occur in response to intense media attention. For example, a mere fire, no matter the number of deaths, is just a garden variety tragedy. However, if the right kind of people begin to believe it was arson, caused by deliberate action, the threat that more arsons will be committed increases drastically.

Disgusting Pedos on the Net had better watch the fuck out. Anon is serious and I applaud them for it. The law cannot possibly contain nor control the issue of pedophilia on the Net. If they cannot do it then others have to get involved. Down with Pedo sites on the Net. IMHO, Pedos that are caught should be in a mental institution for LIFE. There is no curing them ever. Sick for life is what they are,

Given the state of mental institutions in the United States, basically unless they're a danger to life, limb and property they're free to go. I would be against aping this, it would be worse than our current setup.

Nobody wants to live next to them, sure, but as it's not a death penalty-level crime, they have to live somewhere when they serve their time. Even if we made it a death sentence, prisons are overcrowded already, and there are very few reasoned debates on how to better treat (Following the OP's base assumption that pedophilia may not be cureable, can it be managed?), incarcerate, or escalate the crime higher than it is now (death penalty, life/installment sentencing, etc) without overinvolving Federal/State resources.

But it's easy to add vitriol to the debate, and when taken to their extremes we start sounding like our Capital Punishment extremist neighbors, i.e.:

"They should be all executed": While it's true that this is policy in a number of countries, good luck telling that to Amnesty International, who has serious money and influence to fight such laws... (particularly when people innocent of the crime end up dying from failure of the judicial process, and it DOES happen),

"Compulsory castration": Federal policy in the United States as well as England for sex criminals, mental patients, and the "genetically unfit" until the end of World War II, mainly because Nazi-Occupied Germany did the same to their criminals,

"They need to be forced into labor the rest of their lives": Formally called Reeducation Through Labor, China's doing that one too, but also pushes repeat Misdemeanor criminals, drug addicts, prostitutes, political dissidents and religious protesters as well to the same camps, etc.

The biggest problem of this op is Anonymous acting as judge, jury and executioner: are they trusted to find repeat pedophilia users? What about children headed to the site by accident? False positives, proxies, etc? What if a bot-net starts pushing such content to unaware users using stolen identities to spread to the public? (Of course, there are worse ideas out there, and we can play what-if all day about how Anonymous can accidentally ruin someone's life when they are innocent of their intended crusade.)

The reality is that Sex Offenses are a complex question that Law Enforcement has limited means in answering to any permanent satisfaction to victims and involved parties. It is a heinous and damaging act, but emotions run high on all sides preventing reason and due process at times: its a difficult problem, and there's no simple answer to it.

Since when did pedophilia=homosexuality? They are NOT one in the same, and it is foolish to start thinking that way. The very definition from Webster's is "sexual perversion in which children are the preferred sexual object". At the same time, the vast majority of homosexuals (much like heterosexuals) are NOT pedophiles either. Now that I'm done ranting, I think its best that we leave this 'crusade' to law enforcement since they have to answer to judge and jury to (at least try) ensure that the right people are brought to justice.

I appreciate that most people see pedos as the anti-christ but couldn't Anon go after a more worthy target, like those utter b*stards that make TV ads louder than the show?

But in all seriousness, making it even more difficult for pedophiles to trade images is probably a good thing. I'm just not sure crowdsourced policing with hacktivists will be as rigorous as it should be with its burden of proof. Here's hoping any names gathered in the operation are handed to the proper authorities along with the evidence.

Naming and shaming can work well against weasels who are members and sponsors of extremist sites, but naming and shaming someone for such a serious crime as pedophilia could potentially snare innocents and lead to viglante action as well as the already stated risk of suicides.

If Anon can manage this properly, it'll be a PR coup and it might even do some good. If not then they'll end up looking much like the Aholes they're going after.

"Anonymous should be careful they don't make similar errors of judgement."

Anonymous has been synonymous with errors in judgment.

More and more, they seem to be advocating that the internet should be nothing more than what they think it should be, which is quite a contradiction when you consider what they purport their "message" is.

Anonymous is a bunch of cowards too ashamed to make a stand or voice their opinion on matters publicly. Their only communication with the 'outside' world is one-way, and anyone who criticizes is defamed.

Fight the tyranny of "Anonymous" and ignore the news about them. The only power they derive is from publicity, and they are wholly undeserving.